After-Action Reports

Raptor CAPs are long, often dull. Conversations about Quals and projects happen, as does coffee.

Date:

26/11/2017

Related Logs:

None

Space

A whole lot of nothing.

13/06/2049

There's a lot less recon of distant locations for LTJG Wescott since her demotion, which is likely just part and parcel of the Punishment Package she purchased for the beating. Flying with her means a local CAP today. That's probably the worst part for her. She's been professional about it — as much as she can be. Other people are watching. Today they're at extended range from the fleet, all their active systems shut down and just listening like an observation post. Mels has been pretty quiet most of the flight and has a couple books in her flight bag, tucked between the ejection seats up front. Two hours in there's a lengthy yawn from her. "I enjoy a new star pattern out front as much as the next girl but I almost want to just spin us in cartwheels for some excitement."

Gloria doesn't mind CAP too much, with the stillness of it she can pretend it's just a simulator and doesn't feel half as sick as usual. With her instruments set to beep at her should anything outside of usual parameters occur she's got her head down over a set of notes, but is also glancing up and checking her screens manually at regular intervals as well. "I could talk to you about the delights of being a fully qualified Ordnance officer if you want?" she offers back. "I was looking for a hand with a project last week and it turns out I'm the only one in the squadron." Then, in what is clearly an over the top sales pitch tone she adds, "come learn the delightful ways we have to kill each other! You too can spend your life in the library, or watching endless rolls of footage trying to scram the tiniest bit of information out of them that no one has before!"

Melissa chuckles. "I never really had time to look at the quals, but I was looking more closely when I made Captain. Then this whole mess started. I'd kinda backburnered the whole thing. Though I guess now that I'm a JG I do have more time for it." Rumours are she's been taking up more of her free time with whiskey. "Working on anything more interesting than a new line of code for the ECM system? I had an ordnance officer come to me with that all excited like it was the greatest thing ever." She pulls off her helmet and reaches into the flight bag beside her, helmet on the other seat. A steel thermos, complete with dings, comes out and she unscrews the top. "I looked at some of them more recently and a few look like fun. That Marine one sounds kinda cool, too."

"I got Weasel during the last war," Gloria replies conversationally, "we did a lot of work bombing sights on the Colonies that were defended by Sabres. Was working on Ordnance when peace was declared but finished it, then went on to become a fully qualified Mudhen before I was tempted over to a civilian role training the newest recruits. Salary was good, didn't have to move round all the time… " It wasn't a bad life all told, while it lasted. "Still, means there's a lot I can bore people to death with if required, including what you need before you can start Liaison." She almost mentions that that's the route Kelsey took, but decides not to merely compare Mels to her mother. "As for my project? Scyth wants me to try and use a Second War guidance system for an air to surface missile to try and take out the jamming ship's we've been having issue with. Good news is it should work fine, the kicker is trying to work out if we can transplant it into a zero-atmo ordnance, or if we need to adapt the one it's currently mounted on for zero-atmo instead. Of, and the payload, that might not actually do much damage, we're not sure yet." Then, brightly, "but the guidance system will be amazing."

"Good Lords and Ladies, you've got the quals stacked." Melissa pours herself a cup of the coffee and closes the thermos back up, sitting it up in her bag. "I'm torn between wanting Mudhen and the search and rescue. I can't remember the name of it." Mels was probably drinking last night so she's got a bit of brain fog. "I'm game. It’s not like the Marines are doing much at the moment. And nobody is going to miss a JG for a few months." Which isn't truly correct. Melissa is still a former Captain and has a lot of knowledge and skill people lean on her for. "But the shootdown on Calumet? The cold? Defenseless? You don't forget that feeling. …Is the route for Mudhen different if you do Liaison?" She obviously needs to brush up on the topic, drinking a big sip of the hot liquid. "Yeah I've seen those missiles parked down there on the Ordnance Deck. They use cluster munitions, right? I'd think that they would work. You don't need to blow up the ship, just render it useless. Getting hit with fifty grenades at once would take out emitters and receivers on the outside of the armour, if not just cut right through the armour. I mean that's what I would assume."

"There was time to get them in after the war," Gloria replies, "and it was a good war to keep my skills sharp just in case it was just a lull." Not fully trust the Cylons? Crazy talk. "Both Liaison and Medhen need Ordnance, so I suggest starting there. Well, unless you really want MedEvac, in which case you want weasel and survival. Can't help you with the last one, although if memory serves Scyth can." Looking faintly jealous at the coffee she does a scan of her boards and notes nothing of interest, then turns back to Mels again. "I've got Quickdraw looking into it, although I suspect he volunteered half to go chat up some marines. We're hoping it'll be enough to take out whatever arrays their using though yeah."

"Yeah but if I recall, MudHen needs to be a full Lieutenant. Chances of me making full LT back again are pretty slim in the near future. I think I probably gotta stick to what's realistic for my rank." Melissa sips the cup again and stares out at the star field. One leg lifts off the thruster pedals and she puts one the flat of one boot on the panel's side light shield. She'd look at home sitting on a porch with her horse tied up nearby. "I guess I should probably flip a coin. I mean Ordnance and Weasel both sound like they aren't super boring. But I'd wanna know how to shoot things if I ever get stuck on the ground again. So I guess that's ordnance." Another sip of the cup and she lounges lazily, arm moving to rest on the propped leg. "You ever been shot down, sir?"

"It does," Gloria replies regarding the pre-reqs for mudhen, "but you'd need the two tier threes first, so that's a time investment in and off itself. From what you've said though, yeah, Ordnance is likely the best place for you to start. It just won't count towards Medevac if you decide you want to go down their route." As Mels calls her Sir she smirks back faintly, "don't you fraking start Billboard, but no. Well, sort of, but not really. The bird I've been in has always made it back to Orion, I've just not always been conscious and entirely in one piece. So no, I guess, I haven't. I'd put it down to skill and talent obviously, but I reckon Zeus must have had something to do with it as well, and dumb luck of course."

"I guess so. I suppose I should set the example for other JG's and get some of them knocked out. To be honest I'd rather do Mudhen. As much as I love Raptors and rescuing people, there's an attraction to blowing things up so other people can get the rescue in. There's that old saying that fighter pilots make movies, bomber pilots make history. I suppose medevac makes heroes. Major Ynyr has that pretty well cornered, too." She sips the cup again, draining it. The cap is screwed back on and she passes it back towards Gloria. "Copy, sir. Billboard won't start." She flashes a thumbs up between the seats. "I suppose that's still some ugly stuff. The whole experience isn't something you forget. Ships on fire, then Zeus boots your in the ass with a packed charge in your chair. It’s like you failed a test and got kicked out of the classroom for frakkin up. Calumet was a total BS shootdown, too. This tank was shooting at us with a fifty cal and just dumb friggin luck at over a mile away, el-tee."

"That’s you and Quickdraw for Ordnance then," Gloria replies with a grin as she reaches for the flask, "you can start a study group. Won't that be nice." She does take the time to do a detailed check of her instruments before she unscrews the cap though, they are here to work after all. "Cross was thinking of starting one too, although he hasn't worked out which one he wants to do yet." Pouring some of the hot, liquid, caffeine into the cap she leans back in her seat as much as she can and takes the time to enjoy it as she listens to the account of Calumet. "I'm good with Zeus' boots being no where near my arse," she notes, "and I'm the one that should be shooting at tanks, not the other way round!"

"I'll see if I can hunt him down and talk stuff over. My demotion seems to be a mixed bag for some people. Some think its deserved, others not so much. But I'm game and I'll see what he wants to do." Melissa seems about as unconcerned as possible for who thinks what of her. "Cross needs to figure that out. Flip a coin. Longer the delay, longer until he picks something up." Melissa makes a flat plane out of her gloved hand and squints one eye past it towards the stars, moving it like a strike craft through the stars. "We did hit them. We dove in on a company of Skath tanks heading towards the bunker at Cal. We dropped everything we had in one fast pass. We got almost all of the tanks and one of them just did not like me. We ejected and got caught in the leading edge of a snowstorm. It blew us about seventy miles. We were up in the air for a long time. Then we landed and had to ride out the snowstorm. It dropped like four feet in two and a half days. Everyone was hunting for us, especially the Skath."

"I might quietly suggest to him that he joins you and Quickdraw," Gloria notes with a shrugs, "then you can work together on things, and it'll be easier on the time of those of us with the quals." Then raising an eyebrow to look like a parody of a strict school teacher she adds, "I'll be checking your work for copying though!" She takes another drink of the coffee as snow storms are mentions, and shudders slightly. "You know, it's tales like that that make me think about switching back to CIC. They let me nuke things all the time there, and it was warm. You just have to put up with the brass being there all the time. Not that the old Admiral was a both mind, but Major Gray was a bugger for finding you projects to do all the time. I'm sure I spent more time in the library for him than I did for any of my wing quals."

Homework checking gets a laugh. "Aye, sir. No copying!" Just like a good academy midshipman. Mentioning CIC and nukes, she nods a little. That's an understandable feeling. "Nuking badguys sounds like a fun hobby, though. I'm sure you've got a pretty insane killcount at that point." The pilot smirks and continues moving her hand. "Yeah I think I probably just need to keep busy on something like that."

Gloria wags a finger at Melissa to enforce her point then finishes the coffee and screws the cap back on. Passing the flask back she scans her screen, still a big fat zero of interesting contacts out there. "If there was a killboard up in CIC then yeah, I reckon I'd be up there. Got a few basestars, large chunks of Twin Rocks.." She shrugs faintly, "I'm sure I can find stuff to keep you busy if you need it. Stacks and stacks of paperwork that needs doing…"

Melissa thinks about that, or at least pretends to. "Lessee. Demoted to JG and suddenly lots more free time, and the idea of doing paperwork I'm not required to do? Tough call. Gonna have to pass, sir." Melissa's grin can be heard in her voice. "But quals I suppose can't kill me. When we get back I'll see what Quicky wants to do."

"Damn, thought I had you there Billboard," Gloria replies as she shakes her head theatrically. "Free time… what’s that again? Mind you, having said that, I'm off across to Mother once I'm done. Couple of the techs mentioned one of the traders has some interesting new music and I want to see if it's decent before the marines get there and sponge the place dry. Let me know your schedules though, and I'll see what I can sort." That said she reluctantly turns back to her notes. Work can only be put off for a certain length of time after all.